SCIENCE: 



A Weekly Record of Scientific 

 Prog r ess. 



JOHN MICHELS, Editor. 



Published at 

 229 BROADWAY, NEW YORK. 

 P. O. Box 3838. 



SATURDAY, JANUARY 8, 1881. 



NOTICE TO SUBSCRIBERS. 



We consider it due to those subscribers who have favored 

 us with their subscriptions, previous to the publication of 

 our club rates, that they should have the privileges of the 

 list. They can therefore send us subscriptions for any or 

 all of the publications named at the reduced double rates, 

 less $4, the subscription price of " Science." 



The Report of the United States Fish Commission* 

 for the year 1878 constitutes a volume of nearly 1,000 

 pages of interesting matter, and, from the economic 

 interests involved, should command more than a pass- 

 ing attention from those who are desirous of having 

 the natural resources of this country fully developed. 

 • A large portion of the Report, relating to purely 

 scientific work, will be highly appreciated by every 

 naturalist. For instance, the first division of the work 

 including researches into the character of the fishes 

 belonging to the North American fauna, was in charge 

 of Mr. G. Brown Goode, assisted by Dr. T. H. Bean ; 

 while it is sufficient to say that the collection and in- 

 vestigation of marine invertebrates was conducted by 

 Professor A. E. Verrill, assisted by Mr. Richard Rath- 

 bun, Mr. Sanderson Smith and Mr. Warren Uphara, 

 to show the value of the researches in this direction. 



Few persons will peruse this Report without feeling 

 an obligation to Professor Spencer F. Baird for the 

 very thorough manner in which he is carrying out the 

 objects of this Commission; for the ground he pro- 

 poses to cover would appall one of less experience. 



The amount of labor involved in carrying out the 

 work of this Commission may be estimated by a brief 

 reference to the programme which Professor Baird has 

 sketched for future guidance : 



"United States Commission of Fish and Fisheries, Part VI. ' Report of 

 the Commissioner for 1878. 



A. Inquiry into the Decrease of Food-Fishes. 



B. The Propagation of Food-Fishes in the Waters of the United States. 

 Washington Government Printing Office, 1880. 



1st. The ]>reparati<SX»^l^a^8ftnes of reports upon 

 the various groups of aquatic animals and plants of 

 North America, especially those having relation to the 

 wants or luxuries of mankind, to be afterwards pub- 

 lished as monographs, with suitable illustrations. 



2d. The distribution of specimens of aquatic ani- 

 mals and plants, not required for the National Mu- 

 seum, to the numerous educational and scientific es- 

 tablishments in the United States. 



3d. A complete account of the physical character 

 and conditions of the waters of the United States, as 

 to chemical composition, temperature, etc., with spe- 

 cial reference to their availability in nurturing the 

 proper species of food fishes. 



4th. A history and description of the various me- 

 thods, employed in the United States, in the pursuit, 

 capture and utilization of fishes and other aquatic 

 animals. 



5th. Statistics of the various branches of the Amer- 

 ican fisheries from the earliest dates to the present 

 time, so as to show the development of this important 

 ndustry and its actual condition. 



6th. The establishment by the General Govern- 

 ment, or in connection with the States, of a thor- 

 oughly reliable and exhaustive system of recording 

 fishery statistics for the future. 



7 th. The bringing together in the National Museum 

 not only of a complete collection of the aquatic ani- 

 mals and plants referred to, but illustrations of all ap- 

 paratus or devices, used at home or abroad, in the 

 prosecution of the fisheries. 



8th. An investigation of the movements and habits 

 of various kinds of fish, to serve as a basis for legisla- 

 tion, either by the General Government or by the 

 States. 



9. The arrangement of a code of regulations in re- 

 spect to close seasons, and other matters of detail 

 respecting the capture of fish. 



10th. The stocking of the various waters of the 

 United States with the fish most suited to them, either 

 by artificial propagation or transfer, and the best ap- 

 paratus and methods for accomplishing this object. 



Professor Baird intends to supplement this immense 

 amount of work by collecting and compiling statistics 

 for the proper treatment of international questions 

 connected with the common use, by the United States 

 and the British Provinces, of the waters of the North 

 Atlantic. 



The volume before us bears ample proof of the 

 power of Professor Baird and his assistants, to carry 

 out this programme to its fullest extent, and if the 

 work progresses at the present rate, its accomplish- 

 ment will not be so far in the future as many would 

 suppose. 



